


Puppy Love

by steggy5ever



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - School, Best Friends, Best Friends in love with each other, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Fluff, I marked graphic violence but it's not really, just a brief mention but wanted a warning anyway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-18 01:49:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5893486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steggy5ever/pseuds/steggy5ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy Carter moves to New York City with her family and meets Steve Rogers in her new 5th grade class.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm planning on writing this following Steve, Peggy, and Bucky all the way through High School. The ratings will probably change as they get older and get into more mischief and I might add more characters as we I go along.

Peggy was nervous, even though she would never tell anyone that and there was no way anyone could tell by the way she carried herself. Even at ten years old her parents often remarked to each other how confidently she carried herself, and back home in England she was the unofficial leader of her friend group. Peggy could always be counted on to make decisions while the others went back and forth. So when her father had been offered a tenured position at Columbia University in New York City, they didn’t feel too bad about moving Peggy to completely different country. They assumed if there was any ten year old who could handle the move it was their Peggy, who even as a toddler had been able to handle change without batting an eyelash. Her older brother Harrison, on the other hand had put up a fight at the thought of leaving his football team and having to move to a country that referred to it as soccer. Still, the Carter family packed up their home in England just a few days after Christmas and moved across the Atlantic to a nice apartment that they had found in Brooklyn. 

Peggy had to start school two days after arriving in Brooklyn, and that’s what made her nervous. Everything here was so completely different from the way things were done back home that even she felt a little lost. For starters the school terms here in America were completely different from back home, and they didn’t even call them terms, instead they simply had first and second semester. And Peggy was starting half way through the school year, with other children who had know each other since year one, or kindergarten as they called it here. To make matters more confusing to the ten year old, they called the grade she was in 5th grade instead of year six. When she had been told she was in 5th grade, she had nearly yelled at the women who had handed her mother her class assignment. Thankfully, Mrs. Carter, knew her daughter well and explained to her they were not putting her a year behind in classes, they just called things by different names here, before Peggy could even say a word. 

When her first day of school started, she insisted that her mother simply drop her off at the door, she didn’t need her to come inside. Peggy knew if her mother came inside and dropped her off, she would start crying, and if she started crying Peggy knew she might soon follow suit and she had always been one to maintain as stiff of an upper lip as she could manage. Peggy went to her new classroom, introduced herself politely to the teacher, who sat her down at a table next across from two boys whose name tags that was on the table in front of them read Bucky and Steve. While the two boys looked like polar opposites, one, with the Bucky name tag, had brown hair, a slight tan, and was a good height for his age. The other, Steve, was small and pale, with dirty blonde hair. He was so skinny Peggy could make out his wrist bones from across the table and he looked like he was still getting over a bad cold. Despite how different the two of them looked Peggy could tell they were friends. After taking in a deep breath to calm herself like her dad had taught her when she got nervous and smiled at the two boys. “Hi, I’m Peggy.” She looked between them trying to get a feel for what they were like. Bucky, grinned over at her, clearly he was a person who made friends easily and introduced himself and Steve to Peggy. When Bucky pointed to Steve, he glanced up and met Peggy’s eyes muttering a hi, before looking quickly back down, his shyness coming off of him in waves. Peggy smiled kindly at him, before Bucky pulled her attention away from Steve, by pointing out the important things in the classroom for her. Peggy was about to ask Bucky a question about how the teacher was, when she faintly heard Steve’s voice. 

“Where are you from?” Steve’s head was bowed slightly, like he wanted to be looking at his desk but when Peggy looked over at him she could see he was looking at her through his lashes. 

“Lambeth. Just outside of London. We just moved here this week.” She told him, shrugging a little and she could feel Bucky looking between the two of them, clearly shocked that his friend had asked a question without any prompting. 

“Do you miss it?” Steve’s voice was still quiet and he glanced at Bucky, almost in a way to see if he was doing okay. 

“Not yet. But we’ve only been here three days. Not a lot time to be homesick. And New York City isn’t so different from London, or at least that’s what my mum says.” 

Steve nodded and it looked like Bucky was about to say something else but before he could the teacher told everyone to be quiet and she started the class for the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

At lunch Bucky and Steve sat at their normal table in the corner of the cafeteria, Bucky not even trying to contain his excitement. 

“Stevie, never in your life have you asked a girl a question unless your ma or I have bribed you.” 

Steve shrugged as he ate his sandwich and glanced over to where Peggy had been ambushed by a group of girls. Peggy was an instant celebrity, fresh off the boat, or in her case, plane, from England, and her accent alone had all of the girls in class crushing in around her to hear her talk about London. Peggy’s loose brown curls bounced slightly as she talked and Steve had to force himself to look back at Bucky when he realized he was staring. 

“She’s nice. Not all girls are nice.” Steve said hoping that Bucky would drop the subject before it went any further. 

“You know I’m telling your ma about this the second we get to your place after school.” Bucky grinned as Steve mumbled a reply that he couldn’t make out, before glancing back over at Peggy to see her walking this way and he quickly looked back down at the table. 

“You say a word Barnes I’ll kill you.” He muttered and Bucky looked confused for a second until he saw Peggy walking up to their table. 

“Hi, do you mind if I sit here? I can only be asked so many times if I’ve ever met the queen by the same ten people.” She smiled at the two friends, who both nodded, but Bucky made no move to scoot over for her, forcing Steve to slide over so Peggy could sit down next to him. 

“So have you? Met the queen?” Bucky asked with a crooked grin and Peggy laughed shaking her head no. 

“No, I have yet to meet Her Majesty. Or any member of the royal family. Although my mum swears up and down she once ran into Princess Diana.” She laughed a little again and Steve swallowed hard, trying to ignore how close Peggy was to him, but then Peggy turned to look at him better. “What about you two? Have you met the president?”

Steve shook his head quickly as he tried to remember how to talk. This morning when he had asked her where she was from it was like his mouth had been acting of its own accord. He’d been saying the question in his mind over and over again, wanting to ask her, to get her to look at him, but when he had actually said it out loud he could barely process it, and then she’d looked at him. And she smiled. Not the smile he was used to getting from people other than his family and Bucky. The smile that was sympathetic with just enough pity in it to make Steve wish he hadn’t spoken at all. 

No, Peggy’s smile had been kind and genuine and like she really wanted to talk to Steve. That smile had been enough to give him the courage to ask her a second question despite the fact he could practically feel Bucky’s jaw drop to the floor. Steve had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he had missed part of the conversation between Peggy and Bucky and he wanted to kick himself. He was so bad at making friends, between his size and his shyness, and here was a girl clearly willing to give him a shot at being friends, and he was just sitting there not saying a word. He looked down a little disappointed. This was going to be another girl who just became friends with Bucky, and complain how Steve tagged along whenever they played. But before Steve could continue to mope Peggy turned back to him. “Where to you guys live? I haven’t seen many kids in my building and my brother and I are desperate for people to play football, or I mean soccer with.” 

Bucky looked at Steve pointedly and Steve swallowed hard again before he managed to tell her. Peggy’s face lit up a little. “I’m only a block down from your building.” Steve stumbled over his words a little trying to ask her if she wanted to come over, until thankfully Bucky took over. Peggy nodded and promised to ask her mother after school and as lunch ended they came up with a plan to meet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty short chapter, really I just wanted to show how well Sarah knows Steve and what a good mother she is.

When Bucky and Steve got to Steve’s apartment that afternoon after school was over, Sarah was sitting on the floor in the living room, still in her scrubs, folding laundry. After both boys had hugged her and greetings had been exchanged they sat down to help, Bucky not able to stop smiling. 

“We got a new girl in class today.” Bucky told Sarah, practically wiggling in his seat to tell her about how Steve had acted around Peggy. “Her name is Peggy, and she’s from London.”  
Before Sarah could answer Steve spoke up, and corrected Bucky. 

“She’s from Lambeth actually.” 

“Want to know how he knows that? He asked her. I didn’t even say anything.” Bucky shook his head and grinned looking to see Sarah's reaction. 

Sarah hadn’t thought anything about Steve knowing exactly where Peggy was from. She knew her son well, and he was the type of boy who listened. You could tell him something once in passing but he’d remember it a year later. Steve cared about people and took everything they said to heart. But when Bucky added that Steve had asked her unprompted her eyebrows raised slightly, but otherwise she kept her face neutral. She knew if she reacted to much to this Steve would retreat further into his shyness. 

“Of course he did Bucky. You know him better than anyone. He cares about how other people feel and he wanted to make sure she felt welcome. Poor girl is in a new country, in a new school, and she’s probably scared. I’m proud of you Steve, for making her feel like she had a friend.” She told her son as she went back to folding laundry, so she could her smile as she saw Steve blush. 

“Thanks ma.” He mumbled. “She, uh, she lives a block up and asked if Buck an’ I would play soccer with her. Can we go?” 

“Of course mo stór.” She smiled. “You know the rules. Both of you home by dusk.” She nodded as the two boys stood up and Steve leaned down to kiss her forehead before he left with Bucky to go meet Peggy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a little hitch to Peggy's birthday party

It had been a little over three months since Peggy had started school in Brooklyn and she was still extremely popular. She was nice, clearly a natural leader, and she wasn’t afraid to tell people exactly what she was thinking. 

Steve knew this, because despite the fact that she could have picked anyone in the class to eat lunch with she continually chose to eat with Steve and Bucky, and they played together after school whenever they could. Steve hadn’t told Bucky, but on Peggy’s third week at the school he had been catching his breath after an asthma attack behind a tree during recess. As he struggled to get in a good breath in, he had heard several girls tell Peggy she needed to stop eating lunch with Steve and Bucky. They said they didn’t understand why she would eat lunch with someone who was an outcast, when she could sit anywhere she wanted. Steve had closed his eyes, bracing himself to hear Peggy’s response, to lose the one other friend besides Bucky he had ever had, when heard Peggy’s reply. He could tell without even seeing her that her hands were on her hips the way she always did when she saw or heard something that upset her, and her voice was angry. 

“I’ll sit wherever I want at lunch and with whomever I want. If you don’t like it, don’t talk to me.” Peggy had told the other girls simply before he heard her storming away. Steve hadn’t been able to stop smiling the rest of the day. The only other person who had ever stood up for him before had been Bucky. Sarah had commented on his mood that night and he quietly told his mother the story. 

Sarah had to excuse herself after Steve told her what Peggy had done for him, so he wouldn’t see her cry. Sarah loved her son so much and always pained her that he had such a hard time making friends. She knew he was picked on, even though he had long since stopped telling her about it, and to hear that a girl who barely knew Steve had stood up for him was almost more than she could handle. She desperately wished she could hug and thank Peggy, who she had meet several times when she had come by on weekends asking if Steve could play. Instead she made do with saying a silent prayer of thanks to whoever had sent Peggy and Bucky, Steve’s way. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In about the middle of March, Peggy came into the classroom and sat down across from Steve and Bucky smiling. 

“My birthday is next month. I’m turning eleven.” She nodded a little before smiling. “My parents said that if it was okay with your parents, they’ll take us to Coney Island and to see a movie, and then cake at our place after. Do you think you can come?” 

Steve and Bucky looked at each other excitedly before nodding. They loved Coney Island, and Peggy knew it. “Okay, good. Just have your parents call mine and they’ll work everything out.” 

The three of them had been counting down to Peggy’s birthday since the day that had officially been told all of them could go. Bucky and Steve told Peggy about everything they loved to do there and Peggy was getting pretty excited to ride the Cyclone. But the Friday before her birthday, at school both Bucky and Peggy could tell something was wrong with Steve, He was paler than normal, could barely keep his eyes open, and the wheeze they could normally hear in his chest was louder. Throughout the day the two of them begged Steve to go home, that he clearly needed rest, but he refused, insisting that he felt fine. By the time he got home, and collapsed on the couch, he was running a fever, and Sarah ended up rushing him to her hospital. Steve was admitted for pneumonia and that night, with Steve lying in the hospital bed, was the first time Sarah could ever remember properly having a fight with Steve. He kept insisting that he had to go to Peggy’s birthday party the next day, pneumonia or not, and despite the fact that Sarah also desperately wanted him to get to go, it was beyond clear that wasn’t an option for Steve. At the end of the argument Steve started to break down a little. “But Ma, what if she doesn’t want to be my friend after this?” Sarah took a deep breath and sat down at the edge of Steve’s bed. 

“Steven, does Peggy seem like the type of person who would stop being your friend because of something like this?” She asked him seriously. Steve was quiet for a long moment before shaking his head a little. “No, you’re right. You may not have known her very long but that girl has been a good friend to you. She’s a lot like Bucky. Thinking that she wouldn’t be your friend anymore just because you’re very sick, isn't a very nice thing to think about a friend.” Steve nodded and Sarah squeezed his hand gently. “I’m going to go call her parents and Bucky and let them know what’s going on alright?” Steve just nodded again still feeling extremely disappointed but didn’t put up anymore argument as his mom left to go tell Peggy he would miss her birthday. 

After a fit night of sleep in the hospital, connected to wires and tubes and monitors, Steve fell back asleep the next morning after breakfast, but woke up just a few hours later when he heard a small knock on the door. He woke up slowly and looked around for a moment before he spotted Peggy and Bucky in the door of his room, both of them holding something. Steve’s face instantly lit up as he saw his two friends. 

“What are you guys doing here! I thought you were supposed to be at Coney Island by now?” 

Peggy looked at Bucky and shrugged. “We didn’t want to go unless all three of us could. So we brought a DVD player so we can at least still watch a movie together.”

“And cake.” Bucky chimed in causing Steve and Peggy to both laugh.

Since there was only one extra chair in Steve’s room, Bucky pulled it up to sit as close as he could to Steve’s bed and Steve scooted over so Peggy could sit next to him on the bed. The three of them spent the day together, watching several movies, while Sarah poked her head in every so often throughout her shift to see how they were doing. 

Sarah had offered to take both of them home, but since she was working a double shift, it was late, and Bucky had dozed off in his chair next to Steve. Steve was quiet for a moment and then looked at Peggy. “Thank you.” He told her quietly. 

“For what?”

“For spending your birthday in the hospital with me. I’m sorry I ruined our trip to Coney Island.”   
Peggy smiled and shrugged again. “Coney Island isn’t going anywhere. We can all go this summer. Bucky and I wouldn’t have had any fun if we had gone today. We would have been worried about you the whole time. And this may have been this best birthday I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much.” 

Steve smiled and nodded a little, wishing he knew just how to tell Peggy how much the day had meant to him when his mother came in to take the two of them home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy comes home from spending her summer in England.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay on the update, I've been really busy with school and work and such. As always comments are con crit are very very welcome.

Peggy had spent most of that summer visiting her family in England and had just returned home, with only a week before school was to start again. As soon as she had gotten unpacked and settled she hurried out of her house before anyone could stop her from going anywhere. She had missed her friends the past eight weeks, and she didn’t intend to waste anymore time sitting at home while she could be out playing. Once she was a safe distance away from her family’s apartment she looked around and decided she wanted to go see Steve and by extension Bucky first. After her birthday the three of them had become even closer and spent most days together playing together whenever they could. When she had told them she would be spending most of her summer in England both Bucky and Steve had looked disappointed. Although, Bucky had quickly cheered up when she promised to bring them both something back with her. Steve on the other had seemed more quiet than he normally was. She took her time walking the block over to their apartment building, enjoying being back in Brooklyn which she had come to love just as much, if not a little more than England in the year she had spent living there the year before.

As she walked the familiar route to Steve’s house she took her normal short cut through the alley that separated their streets. As she got closer to the end of it she could hear the sounds of what sounded like a fight. Peggy had never been uncomfortable walking down the alley before. It was well lit and saw a decent amount of traffic during the day and she had never run into any problems before, but she slowed her steps slightly, staying quiet as she got closer to the sounds, and she could clearly hear the sound of punch landing, and rush of breath of the person who had been hit, as the air was knocked from them. Peggy’s eyebrows knitted as she heard a familiar wheeze in the person trying to breathe and she started to run. In a small corner of the alley she could clearly see a boy with wide set shoulders, who looked to be a few years older then Peggy was. Although the older boy blocked most of Peggy’s view she quickly recognized Steve as the person on the losing end of the fight.

“Hey!” Peggy yelled angrily as she ran to stand in front of Steve. “What’s your problem?” Her feet were set determinedly and even the older boy stepped back just a step when she saw the angry, yet at the same time, almost eerily calm look in her eyes.

“Get out of here.” The older boy said and jerked his head, indicating for Peggy to leave. Peggy just eyed him and then shook her head almost bored. 

“Let me guess, you don’t hit girls do you?” She asked and exhaled loudly as he waited for him to answer, not moving from her spot in front of Steve, where he stood still struggling to take in a breath. The older guy sniffed and looked at Peggy, clearly confused why she wasn’t scared of him. 

“Nah, I ain’t going to hit no girl.” He said, almost looking offended that Peggy would suggest he would. Peggy nodded for a moment almost seeming to consider what he said. 

“Well, you’re going to make this a lot easier on me then.” She shrugged and smiled, turning to glance at Steve before reaching forward to grab the boy's arm, that was slightly outstretched arm, and using the fact that he was off guard and slightly unbalanced to pull him forward, until his body slammed into the alley and Peggy turned, twisting his arm behind his back and pinning him there. 

“I don’t appreciate bullies. Especially not when they come near my friends. Stay away from him.” She said harshly and she pulled his arm, just like her brother had showed her, so hard the boy cried out a little. “Come one Steve, we’re going.” She said and looked over at him to make sure he was alright. Steve nodded and gathered himself up, wiping the blood off of his mouth, as he waited for Peggy. Peggy let go of the boy and joined Steve, exiting the alley quickly as they walked to Steve’s apartment. 

Peggy waited until they were inside before starting to look him over. “Are you alright Steve.” She asked softly. Instead of the response she expected Steve turned away from her looking angry. “I didn’t need help. I was doing just fine.” He said shortly before going to the sink to rinse his mouth out. 

“Okay, I didn’t say you did need help.” She said slowly as she watched him, feeling a little confused. She’d heard Bucky talk about having to step in to end Steve’s fights before the landed him in the hospital more than once. “I just don’t like to see my friends getting hurt.” She shook her head as she watched him. “What was that fight about anyway?”

Steve didn’t answer for a little while, still clearly upset and Peggy could feel herself start to get angry. “Are you mad that I broke up the fight because I’m a girl?” She accused him angrily, her arms crossing over her chest. Steve finally turned to look at her, clearly surprised by the accusation. 

“God no Peggy. I-” He shook his head as he trailed off. “No not at all. It’s just, I already have Bucky coming to my rescue every fight I get in, and the one time /he/ didn’t you did. I’m getting tired of never being able to fight for myself.” He said bitterly as he grabbed a water and sat down at the kitchen table glumly. “I hate being small.” He said quietly as Peggy sat down across from him not saying anything for a moment. “And at least when Bucky steps in, he’s already a lot bigger than me, but you and I aren’t that different and you had him finished in seconds.” He went on when Peggy didn’t say anything. 

“Well yeah, that’s because you’re trying to fight like Bucky.” She told him like it was obvious but Steve looked at her confused. “You just said Bucky is bigger than you. I don't fight like Harrison. We have to use their size against them. Gravity is on side.” She grinned and Steve nodded seriously trying to take it all in. “So, you didn't answer me. What was this fight about?”

Steve looked down at the table and shrugged. “He stole a ball from this little kid. Couldn't have been more than 5. He wouldn't give it back.”

Peggy smiled a little as she listened to her friend. “You're a really good friend to have Steve.” Steve looked up and smiled. 

“Yeah well you are too Peg. I'm really glad you're home.” Peggy grinned back at him. 

“Yeah and now that I'm home I can show you how to win a fight.” She smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy goes to a stereotypical high school house party and gets a little too drunk. Warning: Mentions of possible sexual assault but nothing actually happens and it's not graphic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been forever since I've updated and these next few chapters I've had written for ages I was just hoping I would be able to think of more elementary school/middle school ideas before I posted these. But since they're yet to hit me, I'll post these next three for the time being and if I think of stuff that happens in between I'll go back and add them :). Let me know what you think. Also in my mind, at some point Steve has hit a growth spurt and while he's bigger than pre serum Steve in the movie he's certainly not full on Captain America Steve. He's sort of like Chris was in his teens before he got completely jacked.

Steve was in his room trying to do his homework, despite the fact it was a Friday night. Bucky was on a date, and Peggy had decided to go to a party of one of her other friends. It made Steve miss middle school, when they had always hung out together on Friday nights, no matter what. Although to be fair, both of them had invited him to go with them, but Steve had no desire to tag along on Angie’s and Bucky date, and while Steve’s asthma had much improved since he was younger, he had no desire to go to a party where there was almost guaranteed to be cigarette smoke. Of course though, Peggy had sent him a snapchat before she left and Steve almost immediately regretted his choice to say no. She looked absolutely beautiful, her hair piled up in some intricate way that he marveled at how she was able to do, and she wore a dress that made him think things Peggy would undoubtedly smack him for. Of course Steve had always loved Peggy the way she normally was around him, hair up in a braid or lose around her shoulders, wearing sweats and an old t-shirt, but he couldn’t deny that she had been breathtaking in the photo she sent him. And if he was being completely honest it made his stomach twist with jealousy. She would have every single guy at the party looking at her, flirting with her, getting her drinks and he kicked himself for turning down her invitation. But that had been hours ago and he hadn’t heard anything else from her. Steve sighed and rolled onto his back on his bed staring up at the ceiling before glancing at the clock. He decided to call it a night and just go to bed. Just as Steve had finished his nightly routine and was about to get into bed his phone rang. Steve smiled when he saw it was Peggy, and he assumed she was just calling to tell him she had gotten home safely since she often teased him he worried more then her mother. He answered, trying to keep his evident grin out of his voice. “Hey.”

“Steve!” Peggy slurred so badly he could hardly tell she was saying his name. “Hi. It’s me. It’s Peggy. Hi.”

“Hey Peg. Are you okay?” He asked worriedly, he eyebrows knitting together with concern. Peggy had never even been tipsy before and right now she sounded beyond drunk. 

“Hey. What? Oh yeah, yeah.” There was a long pause on her end and Steve said her name to see if she was still there. “Oh right yeah I’m okay. Actually not really.” She said after another long pause. “I can’t really make my body move you know?” She asked before breaking into a fit of giggles. “And I kind of want to throw up but I don’t want to move. But I’m fine!” While Peggy had been talking Steve had already put his shoes on and grabbed the car keys. 

“Peggy, I’m going to get you okay? Just stay where you are.” He told her firmly as he nearly ran out to the car he shared with his mom, saying a quick thank you that she had taken the subway to work that night. Thankfully earlier in the night Peggy had texted Steve the address to the party just in case he had changed his mind and he started driving, trying not to speed as he listened to Peggy on the other end. Just as Steve was about to say something he heard something that made him taste bile. “Don’t touch me!” Peggy nearly screamed and Steve stomped on the gas pedal. 

“Peggy? Peg, can you hear me?” He asked trying to keep the panic out of his voice. Instead of a response he could hear the faint sounds of an altercation and the sound of slap. “Peggy? Please, answer me.” He said desperately and heard more scuffling before he heard Peggy’s voice again, sounding much more shaken then it had been. 

“Steve?”

“I’m here Peg.” He breathed out. “Are you okay? I’m almost there.” He could hear Peggy swallow hard before she answered. 

“I’m-I’m here. I don’t like being drunk.” She said quietly as Steve pulled up to brownstone the party was being held. He threw the car into park and was up the front steps in blinding speed.

“I’m here Peggy, where are you?” 

“Upstairs. The second bedroom.” Steve pushed his way through the crowded house and up the stairs, his sole focus on finding Peggy. He opened what he prayed was the bedroom Peggy was in, and found Peggy sitting on the floor next to the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest. Steve walked quietly over to her and knelt down. 

“Peg? You alright?” Peggy clearly took a minute to register that Steve was in front of her but once it clicked she threw her arms around him. “Peg, what happened?”

 

“A guy. I don’t know who. Came up here. And he got on top of me. And you know I would have normally kick his ass, but, I don’t know my brain just wasn’t working. I couldn’t get myself to move right.”

“Did he hurt you?” Steve asked and looked her over. 

Peggy shook her head and took a deep breath. “No. I slapped him. I think my nails scratched him pretty good and he left.” Steve closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief before gathering her into his arms and picking her up. “Come on let's get you out of here.” 

Peggy started struggling and smacked his arms once he was standing up. “No put me down. I can walk. I refuse to be carried out of here.” Steve sighed put very slowly set her down on her feet and instead wrapped an arm around her. 

“You’re so goddamn stubborn.” He muttered as he started to lead her out of the crowded house. They had barely made it back outside, before Peggy leaned over and started throwing up violently. Her hair that had been done up so intractectly before, was now falling down around her shoulders. Steve moved quickly and gathered her hair up as she threw up. After several minutes, Peggy started dry heaving and Steve rubbed her back soothingly. “How much did you have to drink?” He muttered more to himself but once Peggy had finished she stood up and wiped her mouth off. 

“Too much.” She mumbled and leaned against Steve as he lead her to the car, opening the passenger door so she could get in. Once she was in the car, he shut her door before going around to his side and starting up the car. Peggy was quiet the whole way home and Steve wondered if she had fallen asleep but once he parked at his apartment she got of the car quietly and headed to his door. Steve quickly followed her and let her in, leading her to sit the kitchen table before getting her a bottle of water and setting it down in front of her. 

“Drink. All of it.” He instructed her and grabbed two aspirins as well, handing them to her. “I’m going to make you something to eat.” He said as he moved around the kitchen trying to find something. Once he had heated up some leftovers he put the plate in front of Peggy and sat down next to her. Peggy looked at the plate for a long time before looking over at Steve. 

“I’m so sorry.” She said quietly. “Thank you for coming to get me.” 

Steve smiled sadly. “Of course Peg. I’m always here when you need me.” Peggy nodded and reached for his hand. 

“Steve. I think I’m in love with you.” She said quietly before she moved and sat on his lap, taking his face in her hands and kissing him slowly. Steve was so in shock he let her kiss a few times before he shook his head and pushed her away gently. 

“No Peggy.” He told her gently. “Not like this. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dreamed of kissing you, but not like this.” 

He could tell Peggy was hurt and she moved off of his lap and back to her seat, and she quietly started eating the food on her plate. 

“Peggy please don’t think I don’t love you.” He said almost pleadingly. “But you’re so drunk, you can’t tell what you’re doing. And if I kiss you I want it to be because you want me to.” Peggy didn’t say anything but finished her food. 

“I’m tired.” She said once she was done and Steve nodded, this time picking her up and carrying her to his bedroom. He set her in his bed, sitting up slightly so she wouldn’t get sick again, and pulled the covers around her. 

“Get some sleep Peg.” He said quietly and kissed her forehead. “I love you too.” He said before leaving the room to go sleep on the couch.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning after Steve takes Peggy home from the party

The next morning when Peggy woke up, she groaned quietly as she felt the pounding pain in her head and she looked around realizing she wasn’t in her own bedroom. She swallowed hard as she tried to piece together how she ended up in Steve’s room. The sheets next to her look unslept in and tried to find comfort in that and the fact she was still dressed. Taking a deep breath she got out of bed and looked down at her stained dress. Before going into the kitchen where she could hear someone moving around, she helped herself to a pair of Steve’s sweats and a t shirt. 

She headed into the kitchen quietly, and saw Steve at the stove cooking breakfast. She closed her eyes and silently begged that she hadn’t ruined everything with him, before opening her eyes again and quietly telling him good morning. Steve turned around quickly and Peggy cursed herself when she saw the tension in his eyes. She sat down as if nothing was wrong but couldn’t keep herself from asking the question.

“Steve. Did we…? I mean,” she stumbled through the words, her head still pounding as she tried to find a way to ask him without offending him. 

“Sleep together?” He asked his eyebrows raised. “No. Do you really think I would take advantage of you like that?” Peggy looked away from him, her attempt to keep from offending him clearly failing. 

“No. I just, I can’t remember hardly anything from last night. I remember calling you, and you coming to get me, but nothing in between or after really.” She said looking at the table trying to remember any details. If she had been looking at Steve she would have seen him visibly relax but then look a little disappointed. Steve turned back to the stove and after a moment brought two plates with eggs and bacon and sat on in front of her before he sat down at the table next to her. “Where’s your mom?” She asked knowing she would be so disappointed in her if Steve told her about how bad she had gotten the night before. 

“She was on call last night, she won’t be home for a few more hours.” Peggy sighed, and shook her head. Ever since Steve had gotten old enough to stay home by himself, Sarah worked almost non stop. She was trying to save up enough to pay for Steve to go to college if he wanted but everyone hated how much she pushed herself. 

“Thank you so much Steve. For coming to get me, for letting me sleep in your bed, for breakfast. I really don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t have been there.” She smiled sadly. 

Steve shook his head and shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I was more than happy to do it. It’s what friends are for.” 

“I can only imagine what I was like. I didn’t say anything to crazy did I?” She asked as she started to eat a strip of bacon. Steve was quiet for a moment like he was trying to decide if he should tell her or not, but then he grinned widely and if Peggy was paying more attention she would have been able to tell it was forced. 

“Yeah, you said something pretty crazy.” Steve forced a casual laugh hoping his plan wasn’t going to backfire on him terribly. “You told me you were in love with me.” 

Peggy blinked a few times, trying hard to force herself to remember telling him that. Her eyes grew wide as it started coming back to her. “I kissed you.” She whispered and felt like hitting herself. After all the years of waiting for Steve to make a move and all the times she secretly thought about what their first kiss would be like, Peggy had ruined it. Peggy stood up quickly and took her plate to the sink as the memory came back to her. Steve pushing her away and the crushing disappointment that he didn’t want her in the same way. She was quiet for a moment and she could feel Steve watching her. She turned back around slowly to face him, leaning back against the sink. “You said it to.” She said quietly. “You said you loved me. You’d said you’d dreamed of kissing me. But you wanted me to really know what I was saying.” Steve nodded and stood up as well, going to stand in front of her, but kept a space between them. 

“Peggy,” Steve said quietly as he searched her face trying to piece together what she was thinking. 

“I meant it Steve.” She said softly, not able to look away from him. Steve didn’t say anything, and Peggy could feel her heart racing a million miles an hour, after a few seconds of silence, Steve stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Steve took Peggy’s face in his hands, in the same way Peggy had done the night before, and kissed her every bit as deeply as he knew how. Peggy closed her eyes as she returned the kiss as good as she got, and rested her hands on top his. Steve took another half step towards her pressing Peggy up against the sink, and she moved her arms to wrap around the back of Steve’s neck, pulling her closer to him. 

Peggy had no idea how long they stayed like that, kissing and holding each other as close as they could to the other, until she faintly heard the front door open. She was wrapped up on the feeling of Steve’s lips against hers though, that she didn’t bother to pull away. 

“Ho-ly shit.” She heard Bucky nearly yell as he walked into the kitchen. Steve finally broke the kiss, both of them out of breath, to turn his head to look at Bucky. 

“Ever heard of knocking jerk?” He smiled a little, but didn’t take a step away from Peggy. 

“Well if you would have put a sock on the door we wouldn’t have this problem, punk.” Bucky answered back, grinning widely. “It’s about fucking time you two! Angie owes me 20 bucks now.” Peggy just looked at Bucky, her expression of ‘please leave’ clear on her face, but Bucky was too excited to notice. He went over to pat Steve on the back, telling them both congratulations for finally owning up to their feelings for each other. Steve sighed and finally dropped his hands away from Peggy, but didn’t step away from her, part of him wondering if he stopped touching her this would all be just a dream. “I want all the details of how this happened.” Bucky grinned again and went to sit down at the table. Peggy and Steve shared a look and Peggy sighed a little. 

“I should get home, before my parents find out I lied about where I was last night.” She said and let go of Steve to go get her things from Steve’s room. She came back a few moments later and went to go kiss Steve again, smiling into it, ignoring Bucky’s protests about her leaving. “I’ll see you soon.” She promised Steve before she let herself out of the apartment quietly, neither her or Steve able to stop grinning the whole time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just fluff of Steve and Peggy being a couple.

Steve didn’t think he had stop smiling once since he and Peggy had finally kissed. In some ways absolutely nothing had changed, for the most part their day to day routine was the same. But now, all of the touches and looks he gave Peggy didn’t have an air of false innocence. Before he had always walked as close to Peggy as he could and would accidentally brush their hands together. Now, whenever he wanted he could reach down and take Peggy’s hand in his, only to have her look up at him and smiling. Instead of just thinking about kissing her, he actually did, and often. Quick pecks for when they were in public and around other people, and when they were alone they kissed long and slow for so long his jaw would ache and his lips would get swollen. Steve lived for the moments when they were kissing, and Peggy would moan quietly against his mouth. The sound was always so sweet and Steve couldn’t get enough of it. Steve had thought he had been happy when they were just friends, but now, Steve was half sure he had gone into a coma and this was just an incredible dream. The night before Peggy had come over to watch a movie and Steve had laid his head on her lap like he used imagine when they watched movies together. Peggy had started running her fingers through his hair slowly, and he could feel her looking at him instead of the TV. He turned slowly in her lap to look at her, and she was smiling softly down at him. “What?” He asked her softly as she pushed his hair off his forehead. 

“I love you.” Was all she said, and Steve grinned widely as he whispered it back. 

The only thing that was wrong, was the thing that kept Steve up at night. Their junior year was almost over, and they were both looking at colleges. Peggy had so many brochures he had no idea how she would apply to all of the schools, but the ones that gave him a pit in his stomach, were the ones he knew she really wanted to go to. Oxford and Cambridge. She had told him about wanting to go to Oxford back when they first met. She was looking at Colombia too of course, she wouldn’t have to pay tuition since her father worked there, and Steve hated how selfish it was but he hoped against everything that’s where she would pick. The thought of her moving back to England, while he was stuck here killed him. He thought about applying to Oxford himself, his grades were decent even if they weren’t normal Oxford material just on the off chance he could get in and tell Peggy that he could go with her when she made her final decision. 

“Steve!” Peggy said snapping her fingers in front him trying to get him to focus back on her, since he had been so lost in his own thoughts. 

“Yeah, what?” He asked hoping he hadn’t missed anything important. They were at lunch, sitting next to each other as they always had, while Angie and Bucky sat across from them. Peggy rolled her eyes at him, but he could tell she wasn’t really annoyed with him. 

“My place or your’s tonight?” She asked him again and Steve shrugged a little. 

“Mom’s working tonight, so we’ll have the place to ourselves if you come over.” Bucky grinned and Steve got ready for his teasing comments. 

“You two planning on going at it?” Steve aimed a kick under the table at Bucky’s leg. 

“None of your business, jerk.” Steve muttered and looked over at Peggy to make sure she wasn’t upset but she and Angie had started talking, ignoring the two boys. Bucky knew that Steve hadn’t, and wouldn’t so much as touch Peggy without her explicit consent and so for the only okay she had given him was guiding his hand up under her shirt. Not that Steve didn’t want to go any further, he thought about it nearly every night after Peggy left, but he wouldn’t dream of ever hinting at pressuring her. And, if he wanted to be completely honest the thought scared him a little. If he was going to have sex with anyone he wanted it to be Peggy, but he also wanted Peggy to enjoy her first time, and he knew nothing about that. Except for the things that Bucky told him; unsolicited. Steve knew way more then he would care to about the things Bucky had done but he was also a little grateful he wouldn’t be completely clueless. 

Later that night, after they had eaten dinner, Steve and Peggy were in his room, kissing on his bed, Steve laying slightly over Peggy. They had paused their kissing for the moment in an attempt to catch their breath.

“Steve?” Peggy asked as her heart rate started to return to normal. “You know I love you right?” Steve looked a little confused by the question and kissed her forehead. 

“Of course Peggy. I love you too.” 

“I know you’re always going to be the perfect gentleman, I just, I feel like I should tell you. I don’t think I’m ready yet. To go all the way.” 

Steve smiled a little and trailed his lips down along her nose. “Of course sweetheart. We don’t ever have to do anything you don’t to. I don’t want you to ever think I’m just sitting here waiting to get you into bed. I just want to be with you.” 

Peggy kissed him at that and whispered she loved him again in between their kisses.


End file.
